Getting Started with the BlackBerry Mini Keyboard

The all-new BlackBerry® Mini Keyboard™ is the perfect companion for the BlackBerry® PlayBook™ tablet. It is a new, integrated solution that provides a beautiful keyboard, folding case and a multi-touch touchpad, allowing users to get additional screen space rather than using the on-screen keyboard and offering a multi-touch control touchpad for additional navigation controls.

I was able to get my hands on one of these (visit shopblackberry.com for shipping details!) so today, I’d like to walk you through how to get started with the BlackBerry Mini Keyboard and your BlackBerry PlayBook tablet. With that being said, let’s dive right in!

Pairing the Mini Keyboard to a BlackBerry PlayBook tablet

1. Turn the BlackBerry Mini Keyboard on; the power switch is on the left side. (1 = On, 0 = Off)
2. On the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet status bar, tap the Gear icon to access the Settings screen followed by selecting “Bluetooth®”.
3. Verify Bluetooth Connectivity is set to “On” before tapping “Add New Device”, then tap “Search”.
4. Select the BlackBerry Mini Keyboard icon? when it appears on the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet screen.

Note: If the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet does not display the BlackBerry Mini Keyboard icon after searching, the BlackBerry Mini Keyboard may not be in pairing mode. To put the BlackBerry Mini Keyboard into pairing mode, press and hold the CTRL key while turning on the BlackBerry Mini Keyboard, then release the CTRL key when the LED on the “On” switch starts flashing blue and red. After completing these steps, Search for Bluetooth devices from the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet again.

5. On the BlackBerry Mini Keyboard, enter the pairing passkey that appears on the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet screen then press the Enter key to complete the pairing process.

Charging the Mini Keyboard

Connect your BlackBerry PlayBook tablet charger to the USB port on your BlackBerry Mini Keyboard, and plug the charger into a power outlet. You can continue to use your BlackBerry Mini Keyboard while it charges. When your Mini Keyboard is fully charged, the LED shines green.

Keyboard Layout (Click to view a bigger image)

Touchpad Basics

Mouse left-click: Using one finger, tap the touchpad.

Mouse right-click: Using two fingers, simultaneously tap the touchpad.

Mouse scroll: Using two fingers, slide your fingers up and down on the touchpad to scroll up or down on a page.

Navigation Using the Touchpad

Switch between open apps: Move the mouse pointer to the right or left edge of the screen (the pointer changes to one of the Switch App Right or Switch App Left icons), then left-click. Repeat to switch to the app you want.

Open the Home screen to select apps: Move the mouse pointer to the bottom of the screen (the pointer changes to the Home Screen minimize icon), then left-click. The home screen appears where you can switch to another app.

Show the status bar: Move the mouse pointer to the top-left or top-right of the screen (the pointer changes to the Show Status Bar Right or Show Status Bar Left icon), then left-click.

Show the menu: Move the mouse pointer to the top of the screen (the pointer changes to the Show Menu icon), then left-click.

Open the virtual keyboard: Move the mouse pointer to the bottom-left corner of the screen (the pointer changes to the Show Keyboard icon), then left-click.

Accounts and Symbols

Accents – Press the following keys, one at a time, to get these accents:

Acute: Press the Alt key and ‘ and a letter. (á, é, í, ó, ú, ý)Cedilla: Press the Alt key and , and a letter. (ç)Circumflex: Press the Alt key and ^ and a letter. (â, ê, î, ô, û)Diaeresis: Press the Alt key and ” and a letter. (ä, ë, ï, ö, ü, ÿ)Grave: Press the Alt key and ` and a letter. (à, è, ì, ò, ù)Slash: Press the Alt key and / and a letter. (ø)Tilde: Press the Alt key and ~ and a letter. (ã, ñ, õ)

Symbols – Press the following keys, one at a time, to get these symbols:

Q: Is BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0 required in order to use the BlackBerry Mini Keyboard?
A: No, you can use the BlackBerry Mini Keyboard with BlackBerry PlayBook OS 1.0 if you haven’t upgraded to BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0 yet.

Q: Does the case include a kickstand?
A: Yes, you can easily prop up the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet display while using the BlackBerry Mini Keyboard.

Q: Can I use my BlackBerry Mini Keyboard with more than one BlackBerry PlayBook tablet?
A: Yes, you can pair and use the BlackBerry Mini Keyboard with more than one tablet by completing the following steps.

Press and hold the CTRL key while turning on your BlackBerry Mini Keyboard.

Release the CTRL key when the LED flashes blue/red.

Complete the Bluetooth pairing process on your device, using the BlackBerry Mini Keyboard to type in the pairing passkey provided by your tablet followed by pressing the Enter key on the Mini Keyboard.

Note: The BlackBerry Mini Keyboard can be paired with three tablets at the same time. In the event you need to pair the Mini Keyboard with additional tablets, clear the pairing list on the Mini Keyboard first using the following steps.

On the BlackBerry Mini Keyboard, holding the CTRL key and the Backspace key for 6 seconds.

On your BlackBerry PlayBook tablet, check that the Bluetooth connection is turned on.

Check that the LED notification light on your BlackBerry Mini Keyboard is flashing blue and red when you are pairing with the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet. If it isn’t, press and hold the Ctrl key while turning on the BlackBerry Mini Keyboard.

[…] Wireless BlackBerry Mini Keyboard – If you don’t have a BlackBerry smartphone or would like a full keyboard, then this is the solution for you. The bonus here is the multi-touch touchpad built into the keyboard, which can input text and manipulate the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet from afar. For information on how the BlackBerry Mini Keyboard works and how to pair it with a BlackBerry PlayBook tablet, check out the post Getting Started with the BlackBerry Mini Keyboard. […]

The views expressed on any corporate or individual's personal website or any Twitter account are not necessarily those of BlackBerry. The user's Twitter account and/or personal website, any corporate website, or any comments contained on any of the foregoing have not been reviewed by BlackBerry and do not constitute an endorsement by BlackBerry.